The institutions granted full autonomy by UGC will be free to decide their admission procedure, fee structure and curriculum.

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has granted autonomy to sixty Higher Educational Institutions which have maintained high academic standards, announced Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday. After calling the decision as 'historic', Mr Javadekar said that the Government is striving to introduce a liberalized regime in the education sector and emphasis is on linking autonomy with quality.

The central universities which are given autonomy included Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Aligarh Muslim University , Aligarh and The English and Foreign Languages University, Telengana

The minister said that the sixty Higher Educational Institutions which have been granted autonomy includes 52 Universities i.e. 5 central universities, 21 state universities, 24 deemed universities, and 2 private universities.

Mr Javadekar explained that these universities will remain within the ambit of UGC but will have the freedom to start new courses, off campus centers, skill development courses, research parks and any other new academic programs.

According to the minister, these universities will also have the freedom to hire foreign faculty, enroll foreign students, give incentive based emoluments to the faculty, enter into academic collaborations and run open distance learning programmes.

Eight colleges have also been granted autonomy, the HRD Minister said.

The eight autonomous colleges will be free to set their own syllabus, hold examinations, carry out evaluation as well as declare results. In this case, only the degree will be awarded by the respective university.

The Minister also said that a show cause notice will be given to three deemed universities which are lacking in quality.